Combination machine for treating ramie, flax, and hemp



Feb. ll, 1941.

K. WESSEL COMBINATION MACHINE FOR TREATING RAMIE, FLAX, AND HEMP Filed Aug. 5. '1939 far/ Wessel] a/eceaoec/ EJs/2a] O. Ua/e? Feb. 11, 1941.

y K. wEssEl.

COMBINATION MACHINE FOR TREAT-ING RAMIE, F LAX, AND HEMP Filed Aug. 5, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 K. WESSEL Feb. 11, A1941.

coMBNATIoN MACHINE Fok TREATING RAME, FLAX,.AND @EMP Finding. 5, 1959 4 sheets-sheet s OOOGOOOOO OOOO OOOOOOOO r e ,wfg who s eaaw ver e Sra n r .mf 5%, e Za wmlmmmmmmm, W.M y y k. wEssEL Feb. 11, 1941.

COMBINATION MACHINE FOR TREATING RAMIE, FLAX, AND HEM? Filed Aug. 5, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 r l@ W s 7n ,M/ii SWW mw/wam Y Zw ZA ene Wkm /f .a L,

q a a v MMM* Patented Feb. 11, 1941 y f UNITED STATES COMBINATION MACHINE ron TREATING RAMI i Kenwessei, deceased, in by Leland 0'. Walker,

rLAxANDHEMP te er Les Angeles, Calif.,

administrator, Los An-v 4gelealalifz, Vassignor of-one-,fourthto Charlesl ;S.4 Kirkpatrick, Bloomington, A Ill.; and threefourths to `American Fiber .C orporatiom4 a cor` poration of Nevada y iAnpltentiun August 5, masser-iai 10,288,642- s claims. (CL 19a-s) 'rms present invention relates .to machines for the treatmentof` be'rbearlng straw or j stocks-and is in the nature of' an extension or further development of the 'machine disclosed 5 andclalmed` in a' companion application filed of even dateherewiths. N. 288,644. The present machine, lik J that of said co- Y pending-application, iscapablefof treating var- ,ious differentkkindsvof fiber such as ramie, flax 10 and hemp but c includes additional mechanism which especially adapts rthe-machine Afor treatment of ramie. )The `straw vor stock .of ramie has a gumnriy-.ishell that should'be` broken. up

e beforel drying and-'which should be yfurther l5` brokenrafter drying.

The present machine involves a pre-deserticator' including-primari breaking rollers. The machine furthery includesl a drying mechanism r thatfreceives `the pre-decorti'cated fiber and de-y 20 liver-the same nnal decorticator including breaking rollers'. Them'achine involves additional cooperating devices such as cardine. picklng, scutchin'gand likev devices, ,all 'of vwhich will be hereinafterdescribed inconnect'ion with the '25 draiirinss wherein: llkevcharaeters; indicate like parts throughout .the several views:

Because oithefextremelengthpfthe coxnpletemaohine it has been necessary to make the patent drawings thereoiin section; These 80 sectiunsare nrbitrsrynnu munie` or such iengtn that each section-will properly 'go on a sheet ofpatentdrawina- Y Referring tothe drawings:

Fia. 1 infn uiaeeievetienshnumg the inst lsection ofthe machine; l` e Fig. 2 isa-verticallongitudinal section'` ofinepertsshowniuriaizf f Fig, loris a sidi!! elevation showing the-second section or part ofthe machine; .l

`lo ris.; 2u is n .vvemeei longitudine; Seesen of 1 the. parts shown in Fig. 1a;-

Fig. 1b is -a side elevation showing the third section or part of the machine.;

Fig. 2b is a vertical longitudinal section of F 5 the parts shown in Fig. 1b;

rig. 1e is aside elevation snowing the reinen or nal part of the `complete machine; and

Fig. 2c is. Aa]ylertioallongitudinal section of v. most of the partsshownlniglc with some 5 or the `Annen,elements in ruil elevation.

, The frame lwotk' of. the'machine may be of any suitable formv but asishown' involves frame membersl lflila, lub, I0c, Indand 10e: The

berstock-wassumed 'toibo-ramie, is shown asi 55- fedby an endless-belt -I Iuthat runs overrollers- IZlmounted on thevframe section I0. Thisv4 stock, as shown, is delivered under a presser roller i3 mounted on and vyieldingly pressed downward by a supporting spring `arm I4 anchored to a suitable part of the frame I0. 5 The stock is thus delivered to a multiplicity of A corrugated 'primary breaking rollers I5 and I6 that are journaled onv therframe section I0 and are driven in the direction of the arrowsmarked 'on Fig. 2 sothat the fiber stock will be deliv- 10 the prior Wessel Patent No. 1,592,317.

These rollers' i5 and I6. constitute the predecorticator above referred to. From these 20 pre-decorticating rollers the -ber with its broken shivesor shells willbe delivered to a drier of any suitable means such, for example, as the endless feed belt I1 that runsover power driven rollers I8 mounted on an extension of the frame 25 I0 and driven in the direction of the arrows marked on Fig'. 2.

The drier includes a long drying oven formed by an extended casingv or housing I9 shown as mountedon the frame section Illa. The casing so I9v is open at its ends to receive and discharge the ber that is to be dried therein. The fiber vis carried through the drierl by a very 'long endless carrier belt 20 preferably of the open 35 or screen type.

This belt 20 runs over guiding and driving pulleys `2l and 22 journaled on the frame Illa.

Within the lower part of the casing I9 isa plurality of fans or blowers 23 that have air o intake ports 24 and are raised to discharge blasts of air upward through the beltl 20 and the fiber carried thereby. By the action of Athese fans or blowers, the fiber, the shives of which have already been broken up, will be 45 `more completely dried and the remaining shives rendered more brittle and hence easier toremove by the breaking rollers of the final or secondary decorticator.

In the actual machine the casing I9 will be very long and there 5o `would be a much larger number of said fans or blowers than illustrated in the drawings.

."From the drier the dried straw will be delivered to a so-called spreader belt by' suitable means suchas the endless feed belt 25 that runs over 55 feed rollers 3|) and 3i, which last noted feature however constitutes no important part of thepresent invention.

The spreader belt 21 delivers the fiber in an evenly Spread out condition to the final or secondary decorticator. This last noted decorticator involves power driven lower and upper corrugated breaking rollers 32 and 33 that are journaled in suitable bearings onthe frame section IDc and are power driven in the direction of the arrows marked on Fig. 2a. The upper rollers 33 may be and preferably are yieldingly mounted by means such as that disclosed in the Wessel Patent No. 1,592,317 above identified.

By the action of the corrugated breaking rollers of this final or main decorticator the thoroughly dried and brittle shives or shells remaining on the fiber will be broken up and much thereof will be dropped from the machine on the passage of the ber between the cooperating corrugated breaking rollers.

The breaking of the fiber will be greatly facilitated by providing the rollers of the decorticator with corrugations that increase in number and fineness in the rollers from the left toward the right in respect to the drawings, which is in the direction of the movement of the fiber.

The last of the breaking rollers 32 and 33 deliver to rst of a series of concaves 34 that are connected at 35, see particularly Figs. lb and 2b. Some, or if desired all, of the concaves 34 will be perforated so that certain of the shives and seeds, if any, will pass therethrough. At the junction 35 of the concaves toothed grate sections 36 are applied. Large tooth equipped drums or cylinders 31 work immediately over the concaves 34 and cooperate therewith to produce a scutching or stripping action and further remove the broken shives from the fiber. These so-called scutching drums are carried by shafts 38 journaled in suitable bearings on the frame section I0c and driven in the direction of the arrows marked on Fig. 2b. The drums 31 are covered by hoods 39. There is a tendency for the toothed drums to carry upward and over part of the fiber, and to prevent this fans or blowers are applied at the junction of the hoods 39 and are applied to produce downward air blasts to prevent the said carrying over action and to force the light materials from the one drum to the next following drum. These fans or blowers involve c asings 40 that are open at 4I for the downward dis- I charge of the air blast as stated.

Working in each fan casing 40 is a blade equipped fan head 42 that is driven in the counterclockwise direction in respect to Figs. 1b and 2b. The last concave 34 leads to a discharge spout 43 that delivers to toothed picker drum or roller 44 that works over a fixed concave 45. The picker drum 44 is carried by a shaft 46 journaled in suitable bearings on the frame |0c and driven in a counterclockwise direction in respect to Figs. 1b and 2b.

The picker drum 44 acts to comb out and straighten the fiber and deliver the same to the first pair of a multiplicity of corrugated finishing rollers 41 and 48 that are journaled in sultable bearings directly or indirectly on the frame section IUc and are driven in the direction of the arrows marked on Fig. 2b so as to progressively feed the fiber from the left toward the right in respect t0 said views. The corrugations of the rollers 41 and 48 are preferably ner than those of the rollers 32 and 33 and serve to break and loosen from the fiber the finer shives or woody portions adhering to the fiber.

The last pair of breaking rollers 41 and 4B delivers to final toothed scutching or picking drum 49 that works over a concave 50 that is similar to one of the concaves 34. 'Ihis drum 49 is carried by a shaft 5|- journaled in suitable bearings on the frame section Illc and driven'in a counterclockwise direction or in the direction of the arrows marked on Fig. 2c. A fan casing 52 having a downwardly opening air discharge passage 53 is applied over the top of the delivery side of the drum 49. -Working in the fan casing 52 is a fan head 54 that is driven in a counterclookwise direction in respect to Fig. 2c and serves to blow the ber downward on to an endless carrier belt 55 that works over driven rollers 56. A conveyer belt 55 delivers the ber between a plurality of cooperating corrugated final breaking rollers 51 journaled in suitable bearings on the frame section Illd and arranged to deliver the fiber to the llarge breaker drum 58 carried by a shaft 59 journaled on the frame Id and driven in a counter-clockwise' direction in respect to Fig. 2c.

The drum 58 carries the fiber under a plurality of presser rollers 60. The rollers 58' and 60 will usually be slightly roughened or slightly corrugated but may be substantially smooth. The drum 58 will be power driven in the direction indicated but the rollers B0 may be frictionally driven. The said drum and cooperating rollers constitute a machine sometimes designated as a breaker, the function of which is to smooth down the fiber.

The fiber delivered from the said breaker will be in condition for spinning or for final treatment for spinning. When the fiber is to be baled. it will be delivered to a baling machine of any suitable or commercial form indicated in Figs. 1c and 2c as an entirety by the numeral 5I. In said views 1c and 2c the breaker -delivers to a casing 62 that has adelivery spout 63 arranged to discharge the fiber from the breaker to the baling'machine; and in this arrangement a blade or tooth equipped picker drum 64 is arranged to work in the receiving end vof the spoutl 63 charge the fiber throughthe spout 63.

Insofar as this invention is concerned, the various rotary parts of .the machine may be .and to produce a blowing action that will disdriven by-any suitable means. In fact, the variassunse Summary of operation -The operation of .the complete machine designed as illustrated in the drawings has already been generally indicated but may be briefly summarized as follows: The fiber, assumed to be ramie, will first be acted upon by the rollers of the pre-decorticator or primary breaking rollers and the shives or woody particles of the fiber will be broken and some thereof removed and dropped from the machine. The shives or woody portion of the fiber is thus broken to an extent that the drying process may be readilyl carried out and the gummy portions of the liber at least in part removed.

Next the fiber thus treated is carried through the drier by the long feed belt 20. `This drier in actual practice would be very long, in some machines as much as fty feet or more, and, of course, the fans or blowersvwill be in greater number than shown in the drawings. In the movement of the fiber through this drier the remaining shives will be dried and made brittle and hence more readily removable.

Fiom the drier the fiber will be delivered to the spreader belt 21 and by the latter carried to the final predecorticator which includes the second group of vcorrugated(breaking rollers, and by the action of `the latter breaking rollers the brittle shives or woody particles will be much more completely broken up and removed from the fiber, and the-removed shives will be dropped from the machine.

The ber delivered from the breaking rollers of the second or main pre-decorticator will be delivered to the first of the series of scutching or stripping drums 31 and by the successive drums the liber will be removed from the fiber and the fiber more or lesscombed out. The fans or blowers lill-42 in the operation as already described perform the important function of effecting proper delivery of the liber from the one toothed drum 31 to the other and from the last toothed drum to the picking drum 44, from which latter the ber will be delivered between the finely corrugated iinal breaking rollers 1 -4B. The fiber delivered from' the last of the rollers 41-48 will be nearly or quite free from the shives or woody particles. i

What is claimed is:

l. In a machine of the kind described, a predecorticator involving cooperating breaking roll- 1ers,` a drying apparatus receiving from said predecorticator, a'seondary decorticator involving breaking rollers r eiving from said drier, and a toothed scutching rum and cooperating concave receiving from 'the' last rollers of said secondary decorticator, in further combination with an additional or third set of cooperating breaking rollers receiving from.' said scutching drum.

2. In a machine of the kind described, a predecorticator involving cooperating breaking rollers, a drying apparatus receiving' from said predecorticator, a secondary decorticator involving breaking rollers receiving from said drier, and a toothed scutching drum and cooperating concave receiving from the last rollers of said secondary decorticatdr, in further combination with an additional or third set of cooperating breaking rollers receiving from said scutching drum, and a. further and additional toothed yscutching drum receiving from said third set of breaking rollers.

3. In a manhine of the kind described, a pre` decorticator involving cooperating breaking rollvan additional or third set of cooperating breaking rollers receiving from said scutching drum, and a further and additional toothed catching drum receiving from said third set of breaking rollers, a breaking drum and cooperating rollers receiving from said third set of breaking rollers.

4. In a machine of the kind described, a predecortlcator involving cooperating breaking rollers, a drying apparatus receiving from said predecorticator, a secondary decorticator involving breaking rollers receiving from said drier, and a toothed scutching drum and cooperating concave receiving from the last rollers of said secondary decorticator. in further combination with an additional or third set of cooperating breaking rollers receiving from said scutching drum, and a further and additional toothed scutching drum receiving from said third set of breaking rollers, a breaking drum and cooperating rollers receiving from said third set of breaking rollers, and a picking drum and concave receiving from said breaking drum.

5. In a machine of the kind described, a predecorticator involving cooperating breaking rollers, a drying apparatus receiving from said predecortlcator, a secondary decorticator involving breaking rollers receiving from said drier, and a toothed scutching drum and cooperating concave receiving from the last rollers of said secondary decorticator, in further combination with an additional or third set of cooperating breaking rollers receiving from said scutching drum, and a further and additional toothed scutching drum receiving from said third set of breaking rollers, a breaking drum and cooperating rollers receiving from said third set of breaking rollers, and a picking drum and concave receiving from said breaking drum, and a baling apparatus receiving from said picking drum.

6. In a machine of the kind described, a predecorticator involving cooperating breaking rollers, a drying apparatus receiving from said predecorticator, a secondary decorticator involving breaking rollers receiving from said drier, and a toothed scutching drum and cooperating concave receiving from the last rollers of said secondary decorticator, and in which structure there is a plurality of said cooperating scutching drums and concaves, the said concaves being joined between said scutching drums, and in further combination with blowers arranged to produce a downward blastof air between said scutching drums and over the point of junction between said concaves.

7. In a machine of the kind described, a predecorticator involving cooperating breaking rollers. a drying apparatus receiving from said predecorticator, a secondary decorticator involving breaking rollers receiving from said drierI and a toothed scutching drum and cooperating concave receiving from the last rollers of said secondary decorticator, and in which there is a plurality of said cooperating scutching drums and concaves, the said concaves being joined between said scutching drums, a third set of cooperating breaking rollers receiving from the last of said scutching drums and concaves.

8. In a machine of the kind described, a predecorticator involving cooperating breaking rollers, a drying apparatus receiving from said predecorticator, a secondary decor'ticator involving breaking rollers receiving from said drier. and a toothed scutching drum and cooperating concave receiving from the last rollers of said secondary decorticator, and in which there is a plurality of said cooperating scutching drums and concaves, the said coneaves being joined between said scutching drums, a third set of cooperating breaking rollers receiving from the last of said scutching drums and concaves, blowers applied to blow a blast of air downward against the upwardly moving delivery sides of said tooth drums.

LELAND O. WALKER. Administrator of the Estate of Karl Wessel, De-

, ceased. 

